In Odd Places
by walked-into-the-sky
Summary: Because, in the end, they both lost someone they loved that day. Mentions of slash.


Welcome to the disclaimer. Enjoy your stay.

This is an experiment of sorts. The style, I mean.

Mentions of slash (of the SBRL variety), but this is NOT SeverusRemus. Snape's devoted to Lily in this one.

-Begin-

On the one year anniversary of Lord Voldemort's infamous and graceless downfall two men met in a graveyard in Godric's Hollow at eleven in the morning and gawked at each other.

Rather-Remus gawked. Severus looked highly disturbed, borderline nauseous.

You see, both men had been hoping for a private and therefore secret and lonely day of mourning by the graves of James and Lily Potter and neither that thought the other would be there because, really, that morning they had each awoken focused entirely on the dead. Their miseries were complete equals earlier that day while they stumbled blindly through their respective morning routines, their thoughts on happier days past and their wishes only that they could bring the two dead people now beneath their feet back.

The sight of each other, however, had effectively scared the misery and pain right out of them.

"What are you doing here?"

Who said that? One, maybe both. It wasn't very clear, lines were blurring where they really shouldn't have, and suddenly the Potter grave was the sight of a duel that, incidentally, Severus won by default because he didn't stupidly drop his wand when the sickeningly happy Muggle couple walked by. Remus scrabbled like an idiot when they were gone, but it was a fruitless effort as Severus quite clearly had a grotesque advantage at this point and trying would simply be embarrassing and, right now, Remus didn't do embarrassing, especially in present company.

"What the bloody hell _are _you doing here, Lupin?" Severus snapped when Remus finally did manage to get to his feet with some small semblance of dignity. Remus dusted off his shabby robes and smiled weakly at the other man and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

It should be noted: Remus didn't _dislike_ Severus, necessarily. They just had a difference in opinion on a vast number of topics. Like on joining the Dark Lord's Death Eaters and then chickening out at the last second and begging the far too lenient Albus Dumbledore for mercy, for example.

"They were my best friends, after all," he gestured to the grave with a limp hand and tried not to look Severus straight in the eye without being too obvious because, while he wasn't obsessed with what the Slytherin thought of him, he most certainly did _not_ want to be called weak. He settled on gazing at Severus' left shoulder and adopting what he hoped to be a neutral expression.

For the record: he succeeded.

Severus looked at the grave for a long moment, as though he had forgotten the werewolf was there. Remus cocked his head, curious.

Keep in mind: Severus Snape was not a weak minded, love sick fool. He just missed her and he wanted to visit her and remember. It never occurred to him, in all his justifications, that maybe Remus had some unresolved issues too. Until right then.

"Paying your dues, Lupin?" he sneered and was rewarded summarily with a flinch, "wasn't it _your_ lover that did them in, in the end?"

The werewolf had always been the brains behind the three imbeciles known as Potter, Black, and Pettigrew. He was the one who always kept them in check and his control over his temper was something Severus grudgingly admired. Remus' eyes flashed dangerously and his wand, still in his hand, sparked in response to the rage Severus' comment had inspired, "Is this just about making me miserable, Severus, or do you just get off on devastating others?"

Remus, it seemed, had not lost his touch.

The Slytherin smirked, "Nice comeback."

"I try."

A reminder: They were not, nor would they ever be friends. They are just two people that, even in their school years, had mild enjoyment for intelligent banter, something the people surrounding them both rarely offered. Although, what had just passed between them was hardly intelligent, but neither of them really wanted to admit that because that would mean they weren't adults and that they didn't have respect for the graveyard. And that was just plain stupid.

"Have you seen him?" was flung quite suddenly across the space between the graves. Remus was standing over James and Severus over Lily, fitting positions really. Remus didn't flinch this time and Severus could have sworn his eyes flashed from deep blue to violent golden for the fraction of a second he wasn't fighting to control his expression.

Obviously: Snape didn't care about Lupin's emotional state. It was just all part of dragging out the painful memories and forcing the werewolf's eyes open to look at them long and hard and remember just what happened on October 31st one year ago because if there was anyone he could blame, it was the man before him.

"No," to his credit, Remus' voice did not shake when he responded, "Are you mad?"

A fair question, considering.

"Curious."

Remus snorted and Severus thought he saw moisture gathering in his eyes. But, when he looked away, out over the small village, it was not out of respect or understanding. It was repulsion; emotions had always been a sickening sight to the greasier man.

"What about you?" the werewolf demanded suddenly and, when Severus decided that it must be safe to look back at him now, he was shocked and horrified to see that there were tiny streams of tears running down both his former classmate's cheeks. He tensed up and, to make this very clear, was _not_ overcome by emotion at the sight.

"What about me?" Severus hissed back between clenched teeth. Blue eyes flashed and, despite the tears, Remus looked older than he ever had, shabby robes and graying hair included in the equation.

"You don't feel guilty? You overheard that prophecy. You told Voldemort."

To his credit: Remus hadn't spoken the Dark Lord's name intentionally, it had been a slip. But that didn't stop him from feeling triumphant at the sight of Severus' slight flinch at the sound of it.

And it wasn't that Severus was ashamed of his feelings, it was just that he felt exposing them to be the greatest of all blunders in situations as this. Meaning, facing a former rival and loathed school mate. Meaning, he didn't want Remus to judge him on this, he just would never admit it, aloud or to himself.

So he deflected. That's something he can admit.

"Do you?"

Later Severus would remember this: Remus' face crumbled and he felt compelled. So he stepped across the space separating the graves and, shocking both of them, placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. The werewolf went with it though, collapsing forward to sob fitfully into Severus' chest. Severus didn't hug him or anything, that would have been poofy at best and weak at worst, but the fact that he let Remus hang there was gesture enough.

They stood like that, in a state of mutual understanding, before the village's church bell striking its noon song made them draw away from each other. Remus smiled weakly at him and, obviously, Severus turned away, disdainful. But the werewolf understood. He conjured up some flowers for the graves and Severus couldn't help but supplementing Lily's bouquet with some red roses peaking amongst the white, you guessed it, lilies. He may have even added a tiny, blue flower to James' colorful arrangement, but only when he was sure that Remus wasn't looking so he wouldn't have to endure that knowing, understanding gaze.

Then they went their separate ways because, as previously stated, they weren't friends. They were just two people who understood each other, or perhaps only their mutual vague senses of guilt. Perhaps they would meet again during the year, or perhaps not, though neither would mention the day in Godric's Hollow during these meetings. But they probably met again at the graves and stood silently side by side the next Halloween in attempts to do penance for their sins.

They didn't talk about it, though. They didn't need too. Their form of comfort was of a different kind, an odd kind.

But it was enough.

-End-

So. Um. What do you think? Please review, but if you hate it, don't been too harsh. Me no likey the flames.


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